Symbolism, And Personification In Thanatopsis By William Cullen Bryant

In the poem “Thanatopsis” the desire to connect with nature is expressed throughout. Unlike “Rip Van Winkle,” Thanatopsis has a very deep meaning within it, not just a whimsical story. The poem explains that we as humans should embrace death and know that we are a part of the ever cycling earth. We have a bigger purpose. William Cullen Bryant personified nature in his poem. He made nature woman-like by calling nature her and she. “To him who in the love of Nature holds Communion with her visible forms, she speaks a various language…” (171) He also expressed this beautiful simplicity and vulnerability to nature and man. “The hills rock-ribbed and ancient as the sun, - the vales stretching in pensive quietness between; the venerable woods – rivers that move in majesty, and the complaining brooks that make the meadows green…” (171) This poem seems to connect with nature in a different way. It’s almost like it embodies nature along with human to create a smooth transition or meld of the two, and I think that is what creates the desire to connect with nature for the poem.

In literature, themes shape and characterize an author’s writing making each work unique as different points of view are expressed within a writing’s words and sentences. This is the case, for example, of Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “Annabel Lee” and Emily Dickinson’s poem “Because I could not stop for Death.” Both poems focus on the same theme of death, but while Poe’s poem reflects that death is an atrocious event because of the suffering and struggle that it provokes, Dickinson’s poem reflects that death is humane and that it should not be feared as it is inevitable. The two poems have both similarities and differences, and the themes and characteristics of each poem can be explained by the author’s influences and lives.

Although this is a short poem, there are so many different meanings that can come from the piece. With different literary poetic devices such as similes, imagery, and symbolism different people take away different things from the poem. One of my classmates saw it as an extended metaphor after searching for a deeper connection with the author. After some research on the author, we came to learn that the

'Death of Naturalist' is about a young boy, his love for nature and how he relishes every aspect of the countryside. A part of this passion is being aware of a host of small things that many people would find insignificant; animals, frogspawn and all the noises of life around him. This changes in the second stanza. The poet has a change of heart and he seems to retreat from the nature he previously loved. He writes: 'I sickened, turned and ran'

Bryant went through many hard times throughout his life; from losing family members to being socially isolated. He lost many family members and close friends. The one death that hurt him the most was his father’s. Bryant’s father was a very important part of his life; his father taught him many things throughout his lifetime. His father submitted five of his poems into the North American Review, one of those were the first version of “Thanatopsis”. It is said that Bryant mourned his father’s death and that his death is what gave him the emotional passion to write with.

In the poem there is also an idea of man verses nature, this relates to the survival of the fittest. John Foulcher shows this through the use of first person point of view. For example in the second stanza “Then above me the sound drops” this again possesses sensory imagery creating a deeper human aura throughout the poem. Foulcher further uses a human aura to build a sense of natural imagery for example in the last stanza : “I pick up these twigs and leave them” adding closure

The three pieces of literary art (Thanatopsis, Dust in the wind, and Don't fear the reaper) are sending a message that people live and they die. And we don't matter, but nature will always be a thing.

In the William Cullen Bryant's "Thanatopsis, we see a romantic trait of nature, where the poem states that nature has a voice of gladness and eloquence of beauty. This excerpt, "The golden sun, the planets, all the infinite host of heaven are shining on the sad abodes of death," is a good example of being a part of nature. Another good example is, "Earth that nourished thee shall claim Thy growth." Nature is described as a

Chuck Palahniuk once said, “The first step to eternal life, is you have to die.” In William Cullen Bryant’s poem “Thanatopsis”, he does not mention eternal life or anything religious, but speaks about death. He tells his readers that death is a natural thing and they should not worry about it. William Cullen Bryant, in his poem “Thanatopsis”, portrays a comforting view of death. Throughout the poem, Bryant encourages his readers by explaining that in death they are not alone, that death, like life, is a natural process, and that they will be among some of the finest people who walked the earth.

Although a person loses individuality at death, he becomes a part of nature. Bryant says in this line, "Earth, that nourished thee, shall claim/Thy growth, to be resolved to earth again," (22-23). The poet explains that people will return to the Earth that provided them with nourishment when they die. Bryant writes, "To mix for ever with the elements, /To be brother to the insensible rock/And to the sluggish clod, …"(26-28). He asserts here that once they are dead they will mix with

The poem “Thanatopsis” by William Cullen Bryant reveals a very unusual aspect of nature. While most people think of nature as beauty and full of life, Bryant takes a more interesting approach to nature. He exposes a correlation between nature, life, death, and re-birth. Using nature as a foothold, Bryant exercises methods such as tone, setting, and imagery in a very intriguing way while writing “Thanatopsis.”

Personification is a type of figurative language one uses to give abstract ideas human-like characteristics. Dickinson uses personification in this poem because it allows the reader to understand death in a more intimate way. Death became so real to her and to her contemporaries because of the time in which she lived. Through her life experiences, the poet became intimate with death. Because of all the disease and epidemics in her lifetime, many of her loved ones passed away. These deaths were very "intense breaks in her life" (Murray). Some critics suggest that the death of her cousin was the inspiration for this poem (Semansky). In any event, death had a large impact on Dickinson's life. This impact explains why she writes so descriptively about it. In this poem, death is personified as a gentleman caller taking the lady out for a carriage ride. This personification gives the reader a better image of the writer's idea of the coming of death.

In the poems “Because I Could Not Stop for Death”, by Emily Dickinson and “Home Burial”, by Robert Frost, literary elements are used throughout both poems to get the message the authors are trying to portray. One main important literary element that is used to entice the reader, is symbolism, because it helps the authors describe something without actual describing it. Symbolism is also used because it shows how significant an object is. Characterization is also an important literary technique because it, gives the reader an idea on how the character would act, work, and their values in life. Death is a topic that is used in both poems. Also, every character express their opinion about death differently.

Although both Dickinson and Baudelaire write to motivate readers to appreciate nature, Baudelaire uses personification to convey the symbolism of nature. In, “Correspondances,” Baudelaire begins the poem personifying nature as a temple that can communicate with us. He says, “The pillars of nature’s temple are alive/ and sometimes yield perplexing messages” (1-2). This personification is significant because nature is not talking with us, but figuratively it is telling us something about ourselves that

Poems are one of the oldest forms of literary expression often times including complex themes. The poem “Come in” by Robert Frost is no exception. The poem provides us with his experience going into the woods, which represent death. The theme of the poem is a description of Frost’s encounter with his personal feelings and emotions, in which he uses “the woods” as a symbol to express what he is feeling. In the poem “Come In”, Robert Frost’s symbolism via birds, and light, imagery of the woods, constant use of metaphors and similes, line breaks, rhyme, and overall sad tone, illustrates the darkness of his thoughts, feelings, and general experiences in his desire to